Inbox Sorter

This interactive worksheet supports students in Grades 4, 5, and 6 as they analyze digital dialogue, identify communication styles, interpret tone, and build media literacy skills. By acting as a “Communication Style Sorter,” students read text-message-style statements and determine whether each example shows assertive, aggressive, or passive communication, helping them connect word choice and format to emotional intent in online environments.

Learning Goals

• Digital Communication Awareness (Grades 4-6) – Recognize how communication styles appear in texting and online messages.
• Tone & Intent Analysis – Infer emotional meaning from written dialogue without vocal or visual cues.
• Communication Style Identification – Categorize messages as assertive, aggressive, or passive using context clues.
• Critical Thinking – Justify classification decisions by analyzing wording, punctuation, and phrasing.

Instructional Benefits

• Teacher-Created Resource – Designed by educators to align with SEL, health education, and ELA standards.
• Modern, Engaging Format – Text-message scenarios increase relevance and student engagement.
• Flexible Classroom Use – Ideal for digital citizenship lessons, SEL activities, independent practice, or discussion starters.
• Supports Media Literacy – Helps students apply communication skills to real-world online interactions.

This printable worksheet helps students strengthen communication awareness, digital media literacy, and analytical reading skills by examining how tone and intent are conveyed through text messages. By sorting modern examples into assertive, aggressive, and passive categories, learners build insight into respectful online communication and responsible decision-making. It’s a practical, no-prep resource that works well in both classroom and homeschool settings while supporting positive digital behavior.

This worksheet is part of our Assertiveness vs. Aggression vs. Passivity collection.